Electric switch



Opt. 23 1923.

l `r g J. F; LINDBERG ELECTRIC "SWITCH A Filed April e.- 17922 `y Patented POct. 23, 1923.

-citizen ofthe United States, 'residin UNITED STATES 1,471,903 PATENT oFFicE.

.man r. LINDBERG, or cHIcAGo, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC SWITCH. f

Application filed April 8, 1922. Serial N0. 55( ),895. 4

To all whomlz't may ico-neem.

' automobiles, -though the, invention is not to 'be restricted to this use.

The invention has for its general `object the provision of a` simplified construction and assembly of the switch parts. In the switch there is employed a holder having two connected parts that arel preferably angularly related walls, one wall desirablyv constituting a guide-wall and 'the other an abutment wall. A mounting block of insulation is assembled with the holder at Vthe end thereof which is remote from the `abutment wall. A contacting leaf spring, a contact bar, and a retractile leaf spring are simply formed and conveniently arranged in combination with the holder and `the mounting block. The mounting block is formed with a slit that receives the contacting leaf spring, this `spring being foi-med with offset portions to obstruct its movement in the slit of the block, the contacting end of the contacting leaf spring being between the mounting block and the abutment wall. There is also a reciprocablecontacting bar that desirably has an offset portion between fthe mounting block and the contacting end of the leaf spring from which -contacting end the offset portion of said bar is normally' separated. A retractile leaf spring of U.

form is desirably employed, `this retractile spring having oneside in lengagement with the abutment wall and its. other lside coupled with 'the contacting bar. vA switch thus formed is simple in construction and easy to assemble.

The invention 'will be more fully explained in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. lis a view in sectional elevation on line l-lof Fig.l 2, a mounting for the vswitch being illustrated and there being alsoshown the assembly ofthe switch with an operating lever such as a brake lever of an antomobileg'Fig'. 2 isa sectional view on 'line 2-"2 of Fig. l; Fig.

3 is a perspectiveview of a container for switch parts and which is inclusive of the vsingularly related walls vhitherto described;

Fig. ,et is a view in perspective illustrating the component parts of the switch, other than the container, in perspective and in separated relation; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5--5 of Fig. 1. 1

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

The switch illustrated is inclusive of a box having a back wall 1, side walls 2, 3 and'4 and a cover 5, this box constituting a holder` for the switch and the walls 2 and 3, in particular, constituting elements which co-opcrate with the switch; the wall 2serving as a guide for the reciprocable contacting bar and the wall 3 serving as an abutment for the spring that restoresthe contacting bar to open 4circuit position. A mounting block 6,'.formed of insulatin material, is at the end of the holder which' is remote from the abutment wall 3', this mounting block being along side of the'guide wall 2 and also constituting, in effect., a wall of theI box to completethe closure thereof when the cover 5 is in ition. i

The mounting b 'ook has a slit 7 vformed therein in which aleaf spring 8 is received.v This leaf spring has offset portions 9 and 10which correspond to the ,width of the mounting block and prevent the spring from moving in the-slit longitudinally. The contacting end 11 ofv the spring 8 intervenes between the mountingblock Gand the abutment 4wall f3. A preferably rigid reciprocable contactingbar 12 has one endor portion within the space 13formed inthe mounting block and intervening between the mounting block and theguide wall `2. This f reciprocable contactin bar is provided withl an offset portion 14.0' V' form, the left hand side of the V portion of the bar serving to engage the -mounting block to limit the extent to which the other side of this offsetportion 14 may `be removed from the con#- tacting end 11 of the spring 8.

The barlis 'a circuit terminal, its offset portion 14 c onstitutinga contact which is com'plemental to the contact 11 `and is engageable with suchcontact 1l when moved to -the right and away from the block 6. A retractile leafv spring 15. is of U-form, the right hand side of this spring engaging, the

wall 3 that. serves as an abutment for the spring. The left hand side of the retractile .cen't ends of the angularly related walls 2 and 3 through which the contact bar l2 projects forl connection with the device that is to operate the switch. As illustrated, the contact bar is formed with tongue 18 which is projected through a hole through the insulating' plate 19 into engagement with which plate said tongue is clinched. lhen the switch is tobe closed the contacting bar l2 is moved 'to' the right and when the switch is employed in a stop light sigf nal the means for actuating the switch may be inclusive of a spring` 2O which connects the insulating bar 19 with a brake pedal 2l.

If desired, there may be employed an insulating block Q2' for closing the slit 'i' to obstruct sidewise movement of the spring 8. There maybe also employed the cover 5 for completing the enclosure of' the interior parts of the switch. A bolt 23 may be employed for assembling the block 6 with the switch holder and for securing the block 22'in place. This bolt, in conjunction with another bolt 2st, may also serve to hold the cover 5 in position, these bolts passing through suitable holes in the cover and the -back wall l ofthe holder.

While I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention 'l do not wish to-belimited 'to the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of my' invention, but having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Let,- ters. Patent the foilowingzl. ln a switch, the combination with a holder having two angularly related walls-,

one of these walls constituting a guide wall and the other an abutment wall; of a .mounting block of insulating material assembled with the holder at the end thereof remote from said abutment wall and along side pf said guide wall from which it is spaced apart to form a guide-way, said mounting-block having a slit formed therein; a leaf spring contact element inserted in the slit in said block and formed with odset portions to obstruct its movement along the slit, said leaf spring having its contacting end between the mounting block and the abutment wall; a reciprocable contacting bar having a portion within the space between the mounting block and the guide wall and formed with an offset portion between the mounting block and the contacting end of the leaf .spring from which contacting end the offset portion of said bar is normally separated; and a retractile leaf spring of U-form having one Side in engagement with the abutment wall and its other side coupled with said bar, there being a lug struck from the bar and having engagement with said leaf spring 4which serves t-o restore the bar to circuit opening position with the offset portion of the bar against said block.

2. ln a switch, the combination with a. holder having two angularly related walls, one of these walls constituting a guide wall and the other an abutment wall; of a mounting block of insulating material assembled with the holder at the end thereof remote from said abutment wall and alongside of said guide wall from which it is yspaced apart to form a guideway, said mounting block having a slit formed therein; a leaf spring contact element inserted in the slit in said block and formed with offset portions to obstruct its movement along the slit, said leaf spring having its contacting end between the mounting bloek'and the abutment wall; a reciprocable contacting bar having a portion within the space between the mounting block and the guide wall and formed with an offset portion between the mounting block .and the contacting end of the leaf spring from which contacting end the offset portion of said bar normally separated; and a retractile leaf spring ot U-form having one side in engagement with the abutment wall andits other side coupledv with said bar.

3. In a switch, the combination with a helder having an abutment; of a mounting` block of insulating material assembled with the holder at the end thereof remote from said abutment, said mounting. block having` a slit formed therein; allea-f spring contact element inserted in the slit in said block and formed with offset portions to obstruct its movement along the slit, said leaf spring having its contacting end between the mounting block and the abutment; a reciprocable contacting bar formed with an offset poition between the mounting block. and the contacting end of the leaf spring from which contacting end the offset portion of said bar is normally separated: and a retractile leaf spring of U-form having one side in engagement with'the abutment and its other side coupled with said bar, there being a lug struck from the bar and having engagement with said leaf spring which serves to restore the bar to circuit opening position with the offset portion of the bar against said block.

4s. In a switch, the combination with a holder having an abutment; lof a mounting block of insulating material assembled with thev holder at the endthereof remote from said abutment, said mounting block having a slit formed therein; a leaf spring contact element inserted in the slit in said block and formed with oll'set portions to obstruct its movement along the slit, said leaf spring having its contacting end `between the Ait '- mounting block and the abutment; a recipcoupled with said bar.-

5. In a switch, the combination with -a holder havin anabutment; of a mounting block`of insu ating material assembled wit the holder at the Aend thereof remote` from saidabutment, said mounting block having a slit formedtherein; a leaf spring contact element inserted in the slit in said block and formed with oifsettportions to obstruct its movement along the slit,.said leaf spring havin mounting block and the abutment; a recip rooable Contactin bar formed with an offset portion between t e mounting block and the contacting end of the leafvspring from-which contactil end the offset portion of said bar its. contacting end between` the is norma ly` separated; and a retractile spring for placing the'contacting bar in open circuit position.

In witness whereof, I'hereunto subscribe my name this 20th day of January A. D., 1922.' A'

' *JOHN F. LINDBERG. 

